OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — California reiners were hot indoors during an otherwise icy 10 days at the National Reining Horse Association Futurity, returning home with some notable performances at the national competition – both the Futurity and the Adequan North American Affiliate Championships.

This year’s NRHA Futurity paid out $2,104,900, with 1,108 Open entries vying for $1,500,950. There were 660 Non Pro Futurity entries going for $603,980. The 3,047 combined Futurity and NAAC entries were the second-largest in history, and taking into account the record-setting prices at the NRHA/Markel Insurance Futurity Sale, the mood was upbeat.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – If love at first sight didn’t overtake Lauren Crivelli last April when she first encountered Rebas Best Step Yet, then surely love at first ride did.

Crivelli, in Waco Texas, for a collegiate equestrian competition, was called to the National Breeders Reining Classic in Houston by trainer Tracer Gilson when he saw a good prospect for the Fresno State equestrian. As soon as Todd Sommers brought the stallion out, Crivelli was won over.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The man who is no stranger for being the first to reach historic milestones, Shawn Flarida has reached another one by becoming the National Reining Horse Association’s (NRHA) first Five Million Dollar Rider.

Helping Flarida reach this new milestone was his second-place finish at the 2013 NRHA Futurity in the Level 4 Open Finals aboard Tinseltown Fly Guy (Hollywoodstinseltown x Fly Flashy Jac), owned by Wagner & Vandorp. Marking a 224, the duo’s earnings for their finals and go-round performances totaled over $143,000, sending Flarida flying over the five million dollar mark.

The Backcountry Horsemen of California Rendezvous is coming back to Norco! Open to the public, this free, fun springtime event will be held March 21-23 at the Ingalls Equestrian Event Center. Nationally acclaimed cowboy entertainer Dave Stamey will be on hand for a Friday night show and events include trainers Jerry Tindell, Robin Bond and Shawna Karrasch; trail trials, U.S. Forest Service Pack Mule string, contests, vendors, kids’ events, raffles and so much more! See their ad on page 66, and get your tickets and more info at www.bchcalifornia.org, or call (951) 833-6403.

LEXINGTON, Ken. — USA Equestrian Trust has awarded $55,000 in grants to help fund four projects by equine non-profits. The awards come on top of nearly $210,000 awarded in May for 10 projects by equine non-profits.

I accidentally grew into being a horse trainer, after graduating from college with an English degree and a certificate to teach high schoolers. That is a long chapter that, now, doesn’t matter. It isn’t The Story.

I was a parent’s dream as I entered adulthood, a textbook evolution: graduated high school, graduated college, married a good man, got employed, saved a little money, and produced two perfect grandchildren for my parents. Surrounded by good friends, family, and clients, I lived in an idyllic setting and for almost 20 years. I worked in the sand, day-in and day-out, side-by-side with my husband, David, while our children grew and flourished in the country. But, again, that isn’t The Story.

58th in a series
Last issue, Les showed us ‘the sequence stop’. Now we’ll launch into his seven-step ‘big stop’ program.